NIA Court awards death sentence to two in retired Kanpur school principal murder case

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday awarded the death sentence to two men convicted of killing a retired school principal in "fulfilment and furtherance of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) agenda by spreading fear and terror among the people." A fine of Rs 5 lakh was also imposed on both of them. 

The convicts, Atif Muzaffar and Md Faisal Khan, both residents of Kanpur Nagar, were held guilty under Section 302, Section 34 and Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sections 3, 25 and 27 of the Arms Act and sections 16(1)(a) and 18 of the UA(P) Act. 

Ramesh Babu Shukla, retired Principal of Kanpur-based Swami Atma Prakash Brahmchari Junior High School, was killed in October 2016 on his way back home. He was attacked by Faisal Khan and Muzaffar near Pyondi village in Kanpur. The NIA chargesheet divulged that the two men had been radicalised by the ISIS ideology and were out to "kill people whom they believed to be disbelievers". Mohammad Saifulla, who was the third accused in the case, died in an exchange of fire with the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on March 7, 2017.

"Investigations by NIA revealed that the accused were operating under the influence of ISIS, a proscribed terrorist organisation. They had conspired to carry out terrorist activities (Jihad) in India by targeting non-Muslims through violent acts. In furtherance of their conspiracy to promote the ISIS ideology & agenda, they murdered Shukla to strike terror and alarm in the minds of the common people" the anti-terror agency said.